Geneva statement failed to answer many questions but talks are better than war - Turchinov

“The first step towards peace talks has been made. Time will show how sincere these statements were,” Turchinov said

KIEV, April 20, /ITAR-TASS/. The Geneva statement adopted after the four-party meetings between diplomats from the European Union, the United States, Russian and Ukraine is a mere step to peace talks on the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, Ukraine’s parliament-appointed President Alexander Turchinov told the Ukraina television channel on Sunday, adding that any talks were better than a war.

“It [the statement] gave no answer to many questions. But any talks are better than a war,” he said. “The first step towards peace talks has been made. Time will show how sincere these statements were.”

On Friday, Russian president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov told the Russia-1 television channel that the Kremlin was satisfied with the result of the Geneva meeting on the settlement of the political crisis in Ukraine but these results were yet to be thoroughly analyzed.

“Many pinned big hopes and the very fact that this dialogue did take place is positive,” he told the Russia-1 television channel. “The results of this dialogue are yet to be thoroughly analyzed.”

According to Peskov, the Geneva talks yielded “a document, a Geneva understanding concerning what is to be done to cope with the most profound crisis in Ukraine, especially in its eastern regions.”

“Along with the adoption of this document, Washington came out with statements that it was still working on a programme of new sanctions against Russia. This move is unlikely to promote the atmosphere of dialogue, no one can ever come out with statements as the one recently voiced at the top level in Washington that the United States would closely watch Russia fulfilling its liabilities,” the Kremlin spokesman noted.